What to Know
- Officials in Burlington Township sent letters to parents warning of threats made to schools involving clowns.
- It comes after two teens were arrested in for a clown threat in another Garden State town.
- It appears to be part of a nationwide trend of reports of people dressed as clowns to scare children.
On the heels of the arrests of two New Jersey teenagers in connection with creepy clown threats posted on social media, authorities in another local township say they're investigating similar threats there.
Burlington Township police and school district sent a letter to parents Monday night about clown threat posts circulating on social media specifically mentioning township schools.
"The district immediately alerted the police upon learning of the disturbing social media posts this evening," the letter read. "The safety of our children and our community is a top priority for us and we are taking this matter seriously."[[395916081, C]]
Burlington Township Police are investigating the posts, and "pursuing those responsible for them," the letter continued, adding that police have found no credible threats, but planned to increase presence at schools as an extra precaution.
The Burlington Township alert came a day after police in Washington Township said they arrested two teenagers for their involvement in posting similar threats against schools in that township. Both teens were charged with cyber harassment and other crimes, authorities have said.
In Philadelphia, police said they forwarded information to prosecutors on a case involving similar threats made to specific schools throughout the city on social media over the weekend. In that case, police say a 13-year-old girl admitted to making some of the posts as a "prank" and told them she and a friend also involved had no intent of harming anyone. It's unclear whether the District Attorney's Office will file charges.
